Elkin Guzman is a young and pioneering coffee producer in Colombia. Hailing from Pitalito, Huila, Guzman is extremely intelligent and curious about using new technology and techniques in a constant effort to improve quality across-the-board, but also in terms of yield, cultivation, and efficiency in production. Guzman's attention to detail and capacity to buck convention has set him apart from other producers, making him a leader among his community and among Colombia growers in general.
Guzman and his mother tend to Finca El Mirado in Pitalito, where they grow a range of coffee varieties and have done extensive experimentation with processing. He believes in using technology to collect and track data such as the optimum point of ripeness in the coffee cherry for harvesting. Guzman uses a Brix Meter to determine when the fruit is ready for picking, and prefers the harvest to happen at 23-25 Brix. He has decided that picking should only be done in the morning hours, as the coffee plants are not as stressed as in the afternoons and evenings, and he believes that the concentration of sugar development in the cherry is best in the morning hours.
For his natural processed coffees, Guzman dries the cherry on raised beds, being sure to rotate and hand sort the lots throughout the process. This drying process is what makes this coffee so special. Guzman uses elevated drying beds, allowing the seeds of the cherry to naturally soak up the mucilage favor notes under the influence of the sun. This natural process has influenced the flavor notes in the cup.
Guzman is one of the most promising producers we have encountered and one of the most passionate. He aims to continue growing, learning, and improving both quality and output and he is undoubtably one to watch from this famous coffee producing country.
Tasting notes: lemon, berry, fruit punch, chocolate
Varietal: Catiope
Process: Natural
Harvest: October- December
